Trump scraps Kansas and Iowa weekend rallies, resorts to phone-in campaign theatrics
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President Donald Trump canceled planned weekend campaign stops in Kansas and Iowa, choosing to deliver remote remarks by phone while still crisscrossing other states ahead of the midterm elections.
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the weekend campaign stops scheduled in Salina, Kansas, and Dubuque, Iowa, have been cancelled. His campaign team said he will instead deliver telephone remarks to rallies across the country after a month of nonstop traveling to prop up Republican candidates.
Trump told reporters he did not feel the need to visit Kansas, where Republican Senator Roger Marshall is facing a competitive race against Democrat Adam Hamilton. He said Marshall is doing well and projected confidence about a strong Tuesday night for the party, even as Republicans scramble to hold their ground.
The Republican National Committee also issued a statement cancelling a planned Iowa rally, noting the state hosts several competitive congressional contests. Since October 1, Trump has held 25 rallies in 19 states, mostly in rural, Republican-leaning areas, as the midterm elections draw near.
MAGA Inc, a campaign-funding organization aligned with the president, said it will organize a series of "tele-rallies" in at least 19 states, including Kansas and Iowa, before Election Day. Trump is still slated to travel to other rally sites, such as Florida, before the Tuesday elections.
During a recent appearance in Mississippi, Trump remarked that the length of his speeches has been wearing, noting he sounded hoarse. After campaigning for Senator Darline Graham in South Carolina, he responded to a reporter’s question about his travel schedule by saying he feels perfect.
"You've been following me for two weeks," Trump said before boarding his motorcade back to the White House.
The cancellations come as Republicans seek to retain narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.